Article by: Ryan Anderson of UALR
Following a decorated career on the court and in the classroom, former Little Rock Trojans women’s basketball standout Marian Kursh is bringing lessons she learned at UA Little Rock to leadership roles at the new Little Rock West High School.
Kursh, a valuable post player on Trojans squads that made three-straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, will be the first athletic director, as well as assistant principal, for the school, scheduled to open in fall 2027. A graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in health sciences with an emphasis on exercise, Kursh returns to Little Rock after serving as an assistant principal in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District from 2023 to 2025, then becoming an assistant high school principal in the Frisco (Texas) Independent School District.
On the court, legendary coach Joe Foley, the winningest women’s college basketball coach in the state of Arkansas, encouraged Kursh and her teammates to “use your imagination” in his motion offense, and Kursh is utilizing that same creative mindset as she helps open a new school.
“We’re building something from the ground up,” and Principal Steven Helmick “has an open mind,” so the high school’s administrative team is eager for innovative ideas, she said. “He’s such a forward thinker, full of energy, and my door is always open.”
Helmick and Kursh have different skill sets that complement each other perfectly, and she’s both unafraid to voice her opinions while also being “super collaborative,” he said. “We’re starting everything from scratch, and with open enrollment beginning in November, we’re offering a vision of what’s to come, and we’re both aligned in our vision.”
Kursh is committed to aligning the athletic department with the school’s mission and values, operating under the pillars of developing athletes and pursuing excellence, and she’s “a high-character person who is going to expect that from all our future coaches and players,” Helmick said. “She’s achieved excellence at a high level as a student-athlete, she’s lived it, (so) she can speak to any issue or challenge a coach or player might be faced with, understand it, and help solve it. "
As athletic director of the new high school, Kursh wants every student-athlete to know they “will feel supported, academically and athletically, and know the adults truly care about them.” She also wants graduates to “know they can come back any time,” a sentiment that reflects the sense of belonging she feels at UA Little Rock.
Kursh wants to build “strong community feeder patterns” with Pinnacle Middle School, a neighbor for the new high school, and beyond, Helmick said. She also believes in developing student-athletes holistically: “it’s not only about wins and losses, but equipping them to be the best version of themselves when they leave high school and contribute to society.”
Foley regularly hears from former players, whom he considers “like a bunch of daughters," that they’ve realized his lessons weren’t only about basketball, but life, and “that’s really the most satisfying thing to me,” he said. “No matter how good you are, you can always get better, and if you get better at life, you get better at basketball.”
Kursh, a native of Fort Smith, was a member of the Trojans first NCAA Tournament team — which also upset sixth-seeded Georgia Tech in the first round, and on back-to-back Sun Belt Tournament championship teams in 2011 and 2012. She was Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference in 2012, a member of the Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament Team that year, and Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week in February 2012.
To be a member of three NCAA Tournament teams is “special,” and while those players were elite, they were also committed to self-improvement, Foley recalled. Kursh accepted the challenges, kept battling, and realized her potential.
“All the things you need in the workplace, I learned” as a Trojans basketball player, Kursh said. “Coming to practice every day — even during holiday breaks, on your birthday, when you’re hurt — is hard, but it teaches you perseverance, to see it through, even when it’s hazy and uncomfortable.”
“Stay the course, even when it’s easy to give up, because you feel like you’ve given everything and aren’t seeing results,” she said. “It was very competitive and challenging, but you grow through adversity.”
She learned how to accept “constructive criticism,” and that “no one person can do it alone, (so) we’re going to be very cohesive and collaborative at West,” she said. “We can do hard things (together).”
Kursh, who was an assistant principal for Fort Smith Schools, was also the head girls varsity basketball and girls track coach from 2016-2022 in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District. She has a Doctor of Education from Arkansas Tech University, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching and a master’s in special education and teaching from ATU.
Several of Foley’s players became coaches like Kursh, because they enjoy teaching others valuable lessons they learned, he said. “Marian just loves to teach and be around young people.”
The motivation for Kursh to continue her education after graduating from UA Little Rock was formed at the university, balancing academics and athletics, she said. “It kept me on the straight and narrow, (instilled) focus, and (cultivated) the desire to continue to excel.”
Patience has been paramount for Kursh, whether building the new West High School, or rebuilding the Jacksonville High School girls basketball program.
“It takes time,” a quality team, and a mixture of “encouragement and hard conversations,” she said. The Jacksonville Lady Titans won multiple conference titles and appeared at State, and “now I’m excited to see what we can build at West.”
Three of Helmick’s four children are females, so he appreciates the value of a female athletic director, a rarity in Arkansas.
“It’s a platform for her to give other women leadership opportunities,” and she can be an example for high school girls that they can become strong female leaders, too, he noted.
Kursh’s coach at Fort Smith Northside High School, Rickey Smith, who won more than 800 games, was mentored by Foley, whom she also built a relationship with, she was impressed by the athletic facilities at UA Little Rock, and she “always loved” trips to Little Rock, so becoming a Trojan after high school “was a no brainer,” she said. “It felt right, and I’m so glad I made that decision.”
In high school, Kursh had plenty of athletic ability, and she was “very quick for her size,” but Foley knew she was capable of even more, which eventually manifested as a Trojan, and she’s carried that dedication to accomplishing more and more into her academic and professional life, observed Foley. “She wasn’t satisfied with just getting one degree, or even two, and I’m amazed at the way she’s just kept growing.”
As she amassed additional degrees and credentials following her playing career, Kursh realized coaching was “where I wanted to be,” she said. “I’m very passionate, and I love the game.”
As an athletic director, Kursh imparts wisdom from her playing and coaching careers.
“The number-one rule is keep kids first, and operate with integrity,” she said. “If you don’t care about kids, you shouldn’t be in the profession.”
There’s “nothing like sharing; life is all about sharing, and Marian gets to do that in education,” Foley said. “It’s awesome.”
Now back in Little Rock from Texas, Kursh is excited to follow the Trojans women’s basketball program even more closely, and she remains connected due to her history with several current assistant coaches. Alicia Cash was an assistant during Kursh’s playing career, while Chastity Reed and Kim Sitzmann were her teammates.